British Zoo Has Risky Plan To Teach Their Parrots To Stop Swearing
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in eastern England took in five African Grey Parrots in 2020. The five parrots named Billy, Tyson, Eric, Jade and Elsie, rose to fame because of the less-than-polite language they wee using on zoo guests and they had to be put into isolation. The naughty birds were put back on display and now recently, three more parrots named Eric, Captain and Sheila are also using spicy language.
The park’s chief executive, Steve Nichols, explains the zoo has an idea to make these saucy birds behave, and this entire plan could do fantastically.. or it could end up with a whole lot of other parrots learning some new words.
Speaking to the BBC, Chief executive Steve Nichols said he was about to introduce them to the rest of the flock to "dilute" the swearing.
Related: Parrot Has Entire Conversation With Her Mom Who’s Leaving To Go Shopping
It is hoped they will also copy more appropriate vocabulary and noises from the remainder of the flock, he said.
Mr Nichols said: "Parrots are flock creatures. They need to be with other parrots. The bigger the flock, the happier they are.
"Even though they swear, the welfare of the birds has to come first."
However, he admitted: "We could end up with 100 swearing parrots on our hands. Only time will tell." Mr. Nichols went on to say that the zoo has about thirty parrots that make the same sound that a beeping truck makes when it's backing up, so hopefully the foul-mouthed parrots learn how to imitate that sound instead!
How To Teach a Parrot To Talk
As with teaching any pet a skill, patience and consistency are key. Some parrots learn to speak on their own and mimic their owners, television shows, or sounds they hear throughout the day, and other parrots need a bit more encouragement. African Greys, like the foul-mouthed flock in the story above, and Amazon parrots are considered among the best talking parrots.
Younger parrots have an easier time with speech training, A baby parrot will carefully listen to the sounds in its environment and attempt to mimic those noises. Talk frequently to your parrot, greet it each morning, and explain what you are doing. When you hand them a pice of fruit, tell them what fruit it is. When it's time for bed, wish them a goodnight. Your parrot will take its cues from you, as you are a "flock member," so it will absorb and emulate the routines you establish. This includes the sounds it hears in its environment.
Also, provide positive reinforcement and rewards when your bird repeats a word to you. This will only make them want to repert that word again, so make sure the word you are teaching them is one you wouldn't mind your grandmother or child hearing!
If you would like to pay a visit to these hilarious birds, you can get more information at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park website here.
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